Bhopal: The Sessions Court here onThursday granted conditional bail to former Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) ChairmanKeshub Mahindra who was convicted in 1984 Bhopal gas leak case.
It, however, reserved its order on thebail application of six other UCIL executives who were also convicted in the caselast month.
District and Session Judge SubhashKakde granted bail to Mahindra on condition that he would attend the court's proceedingsregularly and would not leave the country without its permission.
Judge Kakde asked Mahindra to furnishpersonal and security bond of Rs one lakh each.
The court reserved its order on thebail plea of other six convicts UCIL former Managing Director Vijay Gokhale, formerVice President Kishore Kamdar, former Works Manager J Mukund, former ProductionManager S P Choudhary, former Plant Superintendent K V Shetty and formerOperator SI Qureshi.
All seven convicts have filed appealin the District and Sessions court against the order of then Chief Judicial MagistrateMohan P Tiwari who on June 7 found them guilty for the toxic leak from the nowdefunct Union Carbide Factory, Bhopal in 1984 and awarded them two-yearimprisonment.
The CJM court had granted them bail onJune 7 itself.
The convicts applied for bail afreshin the District and Session court as it was mandatory before their appeal againstChief Judicial Magistrate's verdict was entertained.
Mahendra's counsel Amit Desai hadyesterday told the court that it was empowered to grant bail under Section 389(suspension of sentence pending the appeal and release of appellant on bail) ofCrPC.
Meanwhile, the hearing on the appealof Madhya Pradesh government regarding enhancement of sentence to the convicts couldnot take place. Judge Kakde is likely to hear the state government's appealtomorrow.